_____The ecological structure of the Maya forest is a remnant of the dynamic relationship in which humans played an integral part. This relationship extends back more than four millennia to the agricultural pioneers of the Maya forest region. These were the ancestors of the ancient Maya civilization and represent the legacy of today’s farmers. The large contiguous stands of forest are a testimony to the efficacy of ancient Maya practices. Cultural selection had left its mark and an eclectic team is coalescing to collect the evidence. While the Classic Maya collapse (c. AD 1000) affected the human populations, plants and animals survived only to be threatened with extinction today. Therein lies the critical cultural-ecological lesson that must be perceived to build a sound foundation for conservation in the future. This is a future that will benefit the local community, the regional resource base, and the world at large.

_____Traditional agricultural systems in the tropics worldwide are as complex as the environment within which they developed. Mimicking the forest structure, a polycultivation system evolved to reduce instability, prevent degradation and integrate both intensive and extensive labor techniques that increase production. Heterogeneous and biodiverse, forest gardens constituted the strength of the Maya community in the past, as they do today, by relying on the traditional knowledge of local farming households.

_____Returning to traditional farming strategies at El Pilar will provide an ongoing source of innovation for the local community and foster resource conservation and development that aligns with, rather than opposes, the natural regenerative power of the tropical forest. The forest-garden design is a mix of economic plants that depend on labor input rather than scarce capital to provide a diverse subsistence, as well as potential cash crops. Included might be such nitrogen-fixing legumes as acadia and beans and phosphate-generating palms. Together, such plants can regenerate soils depleted by corn and other domesticates.